Later this year, Ann Arbor will welcome its newest preschool; Ivybrook Academy. CHS math teacher Maneesha Mankad and her husband Vivek Jaikamal at its helm.
Mankad’s life has always been rooted in a passion for education; however, her journey to fulfill it has been anything but a straight path. She started her career as a biostatistician but became a stay-at-home mom after her children were born. As her children grew, so did her involvement in their schooling.
“I was always in the classrooms,” Mankad recalled. “Helping out, volunteering as room mom, and supporting math enrichment and reading groups.”
Her involvement extended beyond her own children — working with the local community, leading Girl Scout troops, coaching Science Olympiad teams and eventually becoming PTSO president at Lawton Elementary School. At Lawton, one of her fellow parents finally asked if she had considered teaching.
This question led Mankad to pursue a second master’s in Mathematics Education from the University of Southern California. She quickly found a home in CHS’s math department and began teaching AAPS’s math curriculum. However, as any lifelong learner would, she continued to question the traditional teaching methods.
“I always wanted to experiment,” Mankad admitted. “My brain would take me somewhere, and I’d want to know how to do it differently. Can we try this approach? Can we do things in a new way?”
As a teacher, she found that many educational systems promote formulaic thinking, with students being taught to follow directions without questioning or experimenting. Mankad could not stand for this. She quickly became an outspoken critic of these methods, prioritizing critical thinking and promoting confidence in making mistakes.
“I found that it’s hard to switch kids to a different way of thinking by then,” Mankad explained. “We’ve already trained them over so many years to just think in this one way, and we teach in a one-size-fits-all model.”
Fortunately, Mankad was given the opportunity to create a new curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic. The curriculum was based on these principles of independence and inquiry-based learning. Still, the fixed mindset dilemma persisted. Slowly, she realized these ideas must be implemented earlier as high school was often too late to change how students learn.
Coincidentally, Mankad’s husband was also looking to make a change in his profession; however, his actions were more drastic. As an engineer with a 30-year career in the auto industry, he often saw the excitement Mankad had for teaching and decided he wanted in.
Together, they began exploring business opportunities, and came across Ivy Brook Academy, a preschool franchise founded by Jennifer McWilliams — a former first-grade teacher. The vision behind Ivybrook Academy immediately resonated with Mankad. The school’s curriculum combines elements of Reggio Emilia, Montessori and the theory of multiple intelligences. These approaches emphasize child-led learning, hands-on exploration and fostering independence. The idea of creating an environment where children’s curiosity can flourish seemed like the perfect fit and the first step toward creating open-minded learners at the high school level.
“She was talking about all the ideas that I espouse,” Mankad said.
Mankad was especially attracted to the role teachers and educators played in the classroom. By following students’ curiosity and functioning as facilitators of knowledge, students will be encouraged to think as individuals and become proactive members of their learning community. In this teaching style, every aspect of the environment is conducive to creating and building knowledge.
Opening Ivybrook will not only provide the means for Mankad to fulfill her educational goals, but it will also give her and her husband the opportunity to collaborate professionally, an experience Mankad is excited about.
“We were going in two different directions,” Mankad said. “We are at a point in our life where we want to do something together, so this is a great opportunity for us to have common goals.”
Mankad plans for her husband to handle the business, finances and payroll. At the same time, she intends to facilitate marketing, act as the director of admissions, work with families and be a part of the community.
With construction just beginning, Mankad is now shifting her focus to finding qualified administrators and teachers who align with the values of the school. She plans to be open for the start of the next academic year but is hopeful they will be able to start with summer programs. While Mankad is excited about her new venture, she will continue to teach at CHS.
Ivybrook Academy is located at 5950 S State Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
